Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BlackCycle (FOR THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY OF TYRE DOMAIN: RECYCLING END OF LIFE TYRES INTO SECONDARY RAW MATERIALS FOR TYRES AND OTHER PRODUCT APPLICATIONS)
Período documentado: 2020-05-01 hasta 2021-10-31
The BlackCycle project brings together 13 partners from 6 countries. BlackCycle has an upcycling ambition, targeting to create a circular economy of the end-of-life tyre (ELT) into technical applications like tyre industry by producing high technical second raw materials (SRMs) from ELTs. A key lever is to consider the circular economy of tyre domain: recycle ELT into new tyres. Known technologies in this domain are today limited and this new research project will have the ambition to pass their roadblocks, and deliver new technical raw materials relevant for tyre production or other technical products.
This project will proactively integrate these new materials (SRMs) and validate that the progress in all the key tyre performances having environmental impacts is not slowed down.
The BlackCycle project aims at creating, developing and optimising a full value chain, from ELT feedstock to SRMs, with no waste of resources in any part of the chain and a specific attention for the environmental impact.
To develop and optimize the full recycling value chain of ELT, the consortium is devlopping solutions aiming at:
- Developing a process for ELT selection and production of sustainable SRMs;
- Optimising the pyrolysis process for tyre manufacturing;
- Developing suitable technologies for the refining of the pyrolytic oil derived from ELT pyrolysis to produce refined oil for furnace process optimisation during s-CB production, and to produce spolylimonene and s-plasticisers;
- Optimising furnance process to new feedstock;
- Designing and validating performances of tyre made with SRMs.
This project will proactively integrate these new materials (SRMs) and validate that the progress in all the key tyre performances having environmental impacts is not slowed down.
The BlackCycle project aims at creating, developing and optimising a full value chain, from ELT feedstock to SRMs, with no waste of resources in any part of the chain and a specific attention for the environmental impact.
To develop and optimize the full recycling value chain of ELT, the consortium is devlopping solutions aiming at:
- Developing a process for ELT selection and production of sustainable SRMs;
- Optimising the pyrolysis process for tyre manufacturing;
- Developing suitable technologies for the refining of the pyrolytic oil derived from ELT pyrolysis to produce refined oil for furnace process optimisation during s-CB production, and to produce spolylimonene and s-plasticisers;
- Optimising furnance process to new feedstock;
- Designing and validating performances of tyre made with SRMs.
From technical point of view, partners have worked on the end-of-life tyre process selection and production by defining the rubber granulate target compositions and specifications and defining the elementary technology of the deconstruction process of end-of-life tyre.
The pyrolysis process optimisation has been launched after the definition of the target oil composition and characterisation of the samples towards improved properties. Distillation columns at TRL4, TRL5 and TRL7 are being implemented for producing the refine pyrolytic oil derived from ELT pyrolysis based on specifications and parameters defined for s-CB, plasticizers and extension oils production. The first obtained results were very promising showing the prove of concept of BlackCycle value chain.
Regarding tyre performance, a first characterization of s-CB in a tyre mix formulation has been done. Environment, Health and Safety Specifications for s-CB have been defined for being able to use it at lab and industrial scale.
For ensuring positive life cycle and costs performances of the process and secondary raw materials developed by the consortium, partners have defined the framework for technico-economic, health and safety and environmental assessments. Works on standardization and harmonisation of generated data have also been launched to register productions issued form BlackCycle into the Raw Materials Information System (RMIS).
The pyrolysis process optimisation has been launched after the definition of the target oil composition and characterisation of the samples towards improved properties. Distillation columns at TRL4, TRL5 and TRL7 are being implemented for producing the refine pyrolytic oil derived from ELT pyrolysis based on specifications and parameters defined for s-CB, plasticizers and extension oils production. The first obtained results were very promising showing the prove of concept of BlackCycle value chain.
Regarding tyre performance, a first characterization of s-CB in a tyre mix formulation has been done. Environment, Health and Safety Specifications for s-CB have been defined for being able to use it at lab and industrial scale.
For ensuring positive life cycle and costs performances of the process and secondary raw materials developed by the consortium, partners have defined the framework for technico-economic, health and safety and environmental assessments. Works on standardization and harmonisation of generated data have also been launched to register productions issued form BlackCycle into the Raw Materials Information System (RMIS).
At the end of the project partners expect to validate the overall process of sustainable SRMs production derived from ELT and the quality of the products (s-CB, s polylimonene and s plasticisers, tyre; etc.).
BlackCycle project will contribute to the implementation of a high-quality and competitive ELT management and transformation industry inside the EU, by:
- significantly reducing the need for the ELT exports and therefore contribute to the overall reduction in waste exports;
- offering a circular solution to ELT feedstock that is too high for their valorisation in EU cement factories (main treatment of ELT in EU);
- enabling the recycling industry, pyrolysis industry, CB industry and tyre industry actors (notably SMEs) to collaborate on making their industries complementary and more cooperative, competitive and sustainable;
- addressing the competitiveness from third countries with sustainable and cost-efficient solutions meeting climate change, increased global demand and depletion of natural resources challenges.
The enhanced performance of the tyre production value chain will have significant environmental and societal impacts, such as:
- Reduction of the consumers eco-tax improving purchasing power in the EU;
- Providing greener alternatives compared to imported tyres;
- Providing solutions that could be replicated to other sectors (like rubber sector for example);
- Reduction of the environmental footprint of the tyre production through the reduction of fossil resources;
- Reduction the fuel consumption for the transport of ELT from a continent to another.
The BlackCycle project will thus contribute to reach the EU policy objectives on Waste Management (legislation and 7th Environment Action Programme) by i) reducing the amount of waste generated; ii) maximising recycling and re-use; iii) limiting incineration to non-recyclable materials; iv) phasing out landfilling to non-recyclable and non-recoverable waste; v) promoting the implementation of the waste policy targets in all Member states
BlackCycle project will contribute to the implementation of a high-quality and competitive ELT management and transformation industry inside the EU, by:
- significantly reducing the need for the ELT exports and therefore contribute to the overall reduction in waste exports;
- offering a circular solution to ELT feedstock that is too high for their valorisation in EU cement factories (main treatment of ELT in EU);
- enabling the recycling industry, pyrolysis industry, CB industry and tyre industry actors (notably SMEs) to collaborate on making their industries complementary and more cooperative, competitive and sustainable;
- addressing the competitiveness from third countries with sustainable and cost-efficient solutions meeting climate change, increased global demand and depletion of natural resources challenges.
The enhanced performance of the tyre production value chain will have significant environmental and societal impacts, such as:
- Reduction of the consumers eco-tax improving purchasing power in the EU;
- Providing greener alternatives compared to imported tyres;
- Providing solutions that could be replicated to other sectors (like rubber sector for example);
- Reduction of the environmental footprint of the tyre production through the reduction of fossil resources;
- Reduction the fuel consumption for the transport of ELT from a continent to another.
The BlackCycle project will thus contribute to reach the EU policy objectives on Waste Management (legislation and 7th Environment Action Programme) by i) reducing the amount of waste generated; ii) maximising recycling and re-use; iii) limiting incineration to non-recyclable materials; iv) phasing out landfilling to non-recyclable and non-recoverable waste; v) promoting the implementation of the waste policy targets in all Member states